You're my peace
by RiceBullet
Summary: [Translation] Jason gives up on chasing Batman, convinced that it will be of absolutely no use. He ends up in Paris, where he will meet a charming young woman called Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Maybe the peace he needs desesperatly is right in front of his apartment's door?
1. Chapter 1: An angel named Marinette

**Chapter 1: An angel named Marinette**

Jason looked at the remote control in his hand. It was simple, though. All he had to do was press a small button and his revenge would be accomplished. Sadly, by doing so, then Batman would simply die without ever knowing who had got him, or even why he had lost his life.

And most importantly, he would never know that Jason was back, alive and well.

Batman came back, entered his Batmobile and left.

The young man dropped the remote control to the ground and left the scene. He chose to go to the nearest bar and spent part of his night there. The next day, Jason woke up in an abandoned building. He couldn't even remember how he got there.

The black-haired did not move from his place, he contented himself with taking out the packet of cigarettes in his pocket. And started smoking.

One.

Two.

Three.

The package.

His head hurt like hell. His whole body was numb, as if he had spent the night fighting. Given the amount of alcohol he had consumed this was not an assumption to be excluded.

The more time passed, the more a thought popped into his mind.

"Bruce didn't kill the Joker even after he attacked Barbara. He didn't kill him after I died. It's not now that he would do it even if I intervene, isn't it? After all, I've been replaced like a common disposable object. I was just a vulgar pawn, wasn't I?"

His eyes were burning. But he categorically refused to cry. Fucking Bruce didn't deserve someone to shed tears for him. He didn't even deserve the attention. He wanted his beloved Joker so badly to stay alive? Well, he could stay alive. That son of a bitch better not have the audacity to come crying to him after the Joker wipes out all his little soldiers! Jason didn't care anymore.

Fuck Batman!

Fuck Bruce!

And fuck Talia!

Jason stood up, staggering slightly. He then headed to the airport and bought a ticket for the first flight out.

Thus, the man who was to become Red Hood renounced his revenge and instead found himself on a plane bound for France.

**Three months later.**

Jason settled comfortably in his new apartment -buy with money _borrowed _from Talia-. It wasn't very big, there was only one room, and the kitchen was going to seriously need a little makeover, but it was his. It was also not the most upscale district of the capital, but sincerely he largely preferred a simple life to the madness of the bourgeois bobos.

He began to carefully store each box in the right place. It took him part of the day. Once his work was done, he went out for a moment to buy something to prepare a lunch.

As he returned from the supermarket, once in front of the door of his building, he found himself in front of a mountain of walking fabrics. It took him a few moments to realize that the person was clumsily trying to open the door while holding the mountain of fabrics.

— Do you need help?

— Oh? Uh, yes. Could you please open that door for me?

— Of course.

Jason then opened the door for the person. As the person was about to return, she took her foot off the step and collapsed. By reflex, he manages to catch the person hidden behind the mountain of fabrics. The person equipment, on the other hand, spread to the ground.

— Are you all right?

—Y-Yes! Thank you very much! Oh my God, what a disaster! I'm a walking disaster!

The young woman agitated in every direction trying to pick up the catastrophe she had just caused. He scratched the back of his head for a moment. On the one hand what happened to this girl was absolutely not his problem. On the other hand, it would be cruel of him to leave this poor girl alone with this mountain of textiles.

He sighed for a moment, then stooped in turn to pick up the tissues on the ground. The young woman looked at him for a moment surprised, then smiled softly. Once all the textiles were collected, Jason, in his kindness, helped her to wear everything.

Jason discovered with surprise that this spoofed girl was his next-door neighbor.

— Thank you very much sir!

— It's nothing, miss.

— Marinette! My name is Marinette.

—_Enchanté_ Marinette. I'm Jason.

—Jason... Thank you again, really.

She gave him a beautiful smile. It was at this moment that Jason took the time to look at her better. That girl was pretty small, but really cute. Her skin was very clear... A real baby complexion. She had Asian features, splendid bright blue eyes, highlighted by a fine line of liner and mascara. Her lips were pink, luscious and slightly raised by a glossy gloss. Her hair was bluish black, tied in a little bun. She was wearing cream-coloured high-waisted pants, highlighting her wasp waist, with a slightly transparent flowing white top. Finally, she had black closed shoes with little heels.

All right.

She wasn't _cute, _she was fucking hot.

He then smiled back at her.

— It was really nothing Marinette.

Jason finally went home with his shopping bag still in his hand. This day had ended on an interesting note.

**Time went by.**

The former Robin regularly had nightmares. He kept this information to himself and did his best to live his life despite the lack of sleep. Some days were more difficult than others, but none of this was comparable to dying alone in a building after being beaten practically to death by a sociopath. Oh, and betrayed by someone he thought loved him.

_Sad world eh Jason..._

Despite this, the young man found a job as a cook in a restaurant a few train stations away from his building. The job suited him, it was well paid. The manager was a bit of a cougar on the edge, but nothing he could handle.

He also became friends with his neighbor. Marinette thus became a constant presence in his life. When she learned that he had recently arrived in Paris, the brunette made it her mission to show him all the nice corners of the city. The few months he had spent at the young lady's side taught him a few things.

First of all, Marinette was a disaster in the kitchen. The only thing the miss knew how to make was cakes and sweets... Unless you wanted to feed diabetes, no one could stand on a diet based exclusively on sugar! Jason started cooking for two.

Next thing he knows: the girl was a fashionista. And in his humble opinion, the young lady would soon break into the business, she had real talent. Maybe too much talent at times...

— Jason? Is **_that _**your wardrobe?

— Yeah, why?

— You only have T-shirts, a blazer and three jeans!

— I don't see what the problem is, it's more than enough.

— You don't even have a sweater! How are you going to do it in the winter?!

— I'm going to buy some. The cold doesn't bother me anyway.

The next day, Marinette made him go shopping. Not to mention the box full of sweaters, pants and a lot of other clothes that the young woman brought back for him. All the clothes in question had been hand sewn by her...

It wasn't until one day while shopping that he really understood the value of the clothes he was wearing...

— Sir, excuse me!

He turned to see a group of young girls, who looked at him with bright eyes.

— Your clothes are original MDC pieces, aren't they? If I can afford where you got them?

—Uh... Well...

— Didn't it cost too much?

— How far in advance did you have to go to get them?

Questions follow one after the other. However, the former Robin manages to get out alive. As soon as he was out of the reach of the snot, he took out his cell phone to do some research.

MDC was apparently the nickname of a stylist who was making a buzz on the online fashion scene. No one knew her real identity. To get MDC clothes, you had to ask for a commission on her website.

On his way home, Jason examined the sweater he was wearing more closely. Indeed, there was the signature of the famous "MDC" on it. Completely shocked, he then looked at other clothes he had, all offered by Marinette. All of them, without exception, had the signature of the famous mystery stylist.

Why the hell did Marinette go out and buy him such expensive clothes!

Then a detail came to his mind. Marinette said she had made all these clothes by hand.

_Is that..._

MDC. It was initials... Like Marinette Dupain-Cheng?

_OH MY GOD! MARINETTE IS MDC!_

That same evening, the brunette confirmed his suspicions. Jason wished to pay her for the clothes. After all, it was a beautiful piece of clothing, and most of all, it was made by a designer. Marinette refused, almost offended.

— Jason, you're a friend. I would never ask you to pay me anything!

— Mari, I adore you. Like... really a lot. But seriously I can't accept you offering me gifts that cost you a fortune to make and that take so long. It's not fair.

— I did it because it makes me happy, Jay... it really does.

They discussed the subject for quite some time. In the end, faced with the persistence of the damsel, Jason finally capitulates. She was even more satisfied.

**Time passed again.**

Nightmares became more and more intense. He now had trouble hiding it from those around him. Especially Marinette.

— Jason... If you need to talk, I'm here.

— I know Marinette, but I assure you I'm fine.

She looked at him skeptical but did not insist.

The date of a famous event was getting closer and closer, the young man was feeling faint. He did absolutely everything not to think about it. He began to work even harder than before so that he wouldn't have to think about the events related to this famous date.

Three months _after_ the famous date, Jason didn't hold out anymore. He began to walk away from his work by asking for time off. Then he walked away from Marinette, avoiding her as much as possible during a week.

Then the famous "date" came: the same day he died. (Actually, the anniversary of his death had long since passed... But this "date" was present every month... He couldn't stand the sight of that number)

He couldn't keep it.

Jason started going around to every bar early on. By the end of that day, he wasn't even sure he knew his own name. He didn't particularly want to go home anyway.

If he could just disappear...

Maybe he'll finally have peace?

The pain would stop.

He would finally be free... He'll go back to where he should be: underground.

Jason had no idea where he was. Maybe an alley. He just let himself slide along a wall. He felt a shiver running through his whole body.

Oh, yes... It was winter, he was outside without a coat.

Hopefully he would die of hypothermia.

— Jason? Is that you?

That voice. He reopened his eyes -when has he closed them? - . In front of him there was a figure, someone dressed in red and black. He thought he heard other voices...

— ... Bad...!

— It's... Pit... Serious!

— ... Warm... House... Help...

Then he blackout.

When Jason woke up, he was warm. The dark-haired was feeling really good. He was in there surrounded by a soft blanket. And that smell... something sweet, gentle, exhilarating. It was a familiar smell.

_It's the smell of Marinette..._


	2. Chapter 2:My prince's name is Jason

**Chapter 2: My prince's name is Jason **

Betrayal and Solitude.

It was the name of her two best friends for a few years now.

It all began when Marinette got a pair of magic earrings that gave her the power of creation. In order to protect Paris from the attacks of Hawk Moth, the young lady fought with all her might. The trouble was to reconcile her private life with her heroic life. She then had to start lying to her parents, to her friends, more than once so that her secret identity would not be discovered. Marinette sometimes struggled to make ends meet. Her parents often asked her why she was tired, and she reassured them as best as she could.

Of course, one day, all of this ends up falling on her. But not the way she imagined it would. It was two people who ruined her life: Lila Rossi and Chloe Bourgeois.

The first by distributing lies over and over again, and the second by making sure to use her influences to ruin the brunette's life.

Lila swore war when the young lady made her understand that her tissue of lies did not take with her. The little Italian girl ruined her life more than once with her lies. But the brunette was more cunning than she seemed, and for a while she managed to escape the liar's traps.

What actually led Marinette to her downfall was her too much kindness -or naivety-. Influenced by Adrien's words, but also by the words of Miss Bustier, the brunette vainly hoped to be able to save Lila*. It wasn't until much later that the teenager understood that sometimes some people need a good lesson to learn from their mistakes.

**Passivity was not always the viable long-term solution. **

One day her parents heard about Lila's lies and started questioning Marinette. Having been late several times in middle shool and high school, Lila spread the idea that Marinette had a bad attendance record. The brunette's parents began to restrict her movements more and more. Then the Italian began to say that Marinette was helping Hawk Moth and that's why she was late.

The French-Chinese girl had no way to defend herself, not being able to tell the truth about her double identity. This earned her many hours of interrogation by the police and the disappointment of her parents who believed the liar. She only owed her salvation to Adrien and Kagami who came to save her.

Marinette was hurt that her parents didn't believe her and went to live with her grandfather.

She and Alya were friends for a long time. Unfortunately, because of her repeated lies to prevent her identity from being discovered, Alya began to have doubts about Marinette. Lila managed to convince her that Marinette was actually a bad person. It took time, Alya didn't turn her back overnight, but little by little the venom made its way and the young lady ended up turning her back on her.

**The brunette didn't blame her. **

Eventually, her other classmates went their separate ways.

Life went on.

Time passed. Hawk Moth was defeated. Two important events would happen then.

First, Marinette became the guardian of the miraculous. She and Adrien began a relationship. But soon the young woman fell apart. Marinette soon realized that she didn't know the boy, who was supposed to be the "love of her life", as well as she thought she did. When Adrien regularly asked her to turn into Ladybug, Marinette realized that Adrien had the same problem she had, **they both loved an idealized version of themselves**.

Their relationship was intense but didn't last. Eventually, they simply became friends. Marinette attended Adrien and Kagami's wedding, being their best girl. The brunette was sincerely happy for them.

Then Chloe Bourgeois decided to take revenge on Marinette who was in a relationship with Adrien at the time. She managed to convince her mother Audrey Bourgeois to banish Marinette from the world of fashion.

The poor brunette got blacklisted.

To make things worse, Lila managed to convince Alya that Marinette had been harassing her since middle school. Therefore, to avenge the honour of her "new friend", the teenager campaigned to destroy Marinette's website.

The brunette decided not to fight back, despite the fact that Adrien, Kagami, Luka and a few others were ready to fight to protect her honor.

Time passed, and Lila decided she wasn't finished with Marinette yet. The Italian viper played one last terrible trick on her. She used photo montages and sent them to Kagami to make her believe that Marinette was trying to steal Adrien from her. The problem was that Adrien had also cheated on his wife - it was a mistake; he was drunk at the time - but nobody knew that. Seeing a way out of an unpleasant situation without losing face, the blond man betrayed his best friend by saying that Lila was telling the truth.

In the wake of this scandal, everyone turned their backs on her. Only Luka and Alix didn't believe the story for a second. Alas, to prevent them from being lynched, Marinette chose to leave.

Since then the young woman lived reclusive in a small apartment. She redid a site by taking the nickname "MDC". Marinette lived like a hermit, far from all and everything. Just like her grandfather before her.

Until she meets him: **Jason.**

At first, she was suspicious of him because of the strange aura that emanated from his body. Later, the Kwamis explained to her that it was the work of the Lazarus's pit. The waters in this pit had properties similar to Tikki's and could heal any wound. The problem was that these pits were created as a result of a vow using simultaneously the miraculous of creation and destruction. As a result, the pit could heal, but in exchange the one who bathed in it would lose his mind.

Marinette was horrified.

Most disturbing was when Fluff explained that this Jason had _"his time stopped".  
_

— What do you mean by that Fluff?

— That boy should be dead.

— WHAT?!

— It's like he's out of whack... someone or something has disrupted the course of time. That's what's keeping this boy alive. I think the Lazarus pit helped him get "fixed", but there are still cracks.

Marinette decided to keep an eye on this new neighbor.

The more time passed, the more Marinette realized that Jason was a good person.

The brunette started going out much more often. She laughed more, smiled more. It was as if the time that had frozen for her after taking on the burden of being a guardian was returning to normal.

**Marinette felt alive.**

Then Jason started acting strange, avoiding her. The French-Chinese woman was upset, but most of all, extremely worried. That strange aura around Jason, who had practically disappeared since they met, was back. And to make things worse, the aura was getting stronger every day.

One day, she had a bad feeling. When she realized that Jason wasn't coming back when it was almost 3 am - she couldn't sleep if she wasn't sure he was home safely... YES, she was listening to the sounds of the hallway, don't judge her!-.

The brunette made the decision to find him.

She found him half-freezing in an alley.

— Jason? Is it you?

He barely reacts to her voice.

Plagg by her side looked at the young man.

— It's bad Marinette, the magic of the pit is consuming him...

— Plagg is right Marinette, it is the side effect of the Lazarus pit, Jason is in a very serious state!

Marinette looked at Tikki for a moment. Then approached Jason gently, fearing to frighten him.

— Let's start by slowly warming him up. Then we bring him home, he needs our help. The rest we'll see later.

Jason had a high fever for several days. He was delirious and sometimes cried in his sleep. The brunette took care of him while he was in bed, constantly wondering what hell her poor friend must have gone through to be in such agony...

Her heart broke when she saw him in this state.

When the young man woke up, he was disoriented. Yet, to Marinette's great surprise, Jay told her, on his own, what had happened.

Jason told her about his past.

Marinette was sincerely horrified to learn of all that the man she considered a friend had gone through.

After these events, Jason and Marinette got closer.

And soon... new feelings were born in her heart. She tried to bury them. It was the first time she had a friend for a long time... It was clearly not the time to ruin everything because her heart couldn't see a nice boy, that it had been getting excited about all by itself!

Then one day, when she had just dropped her ice on her brand-new dress, the Franco-Chinese understood that it was _too late_.

Jason laughed out loud at her clumsiness.

At that very moment time stood still. The laughter seemed to come straight from the heavens, so sweet was the melody to the young woman's ears. The young man seemed to shine with a thousand sparkles. When he looked at her after wiping away a tear, Marinette thought she saw jewels, his eyes were so splendid.

Jason was incredibly handsome.

Her heart missed a beat.

The brunette couldn't deny it anymore.

_I fell in love with Jason._

Maybe it wasn't a surprise. After all, Jason was a charming, intelligent, funny, strong, admirable, courageous young man... Loyal... Incredible kindness to her, always there when she needed help...

_Do you listen to Yourself Marinette...?_

The day ended far too quickly to the taste of the young lady. They went back together.

— Mmmmh, Mari?

— Yes?

When she looked at him, Marinette thought she was going to die of a heart attack. The dark-haired looked her straight in the eyes, with a sweet smile. Then he gently moved closer to her face to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek. Her cheeks flamed.

— Thank you for everything.

— W-Welcome You! I-I mean y-you're w-w-welcome!

When Marinette returned to her apartment, she let herself slide along the door holding her cheek. Her heart was beating so fast, she was sure the whole building must be shaking. Then a blissful smile formed on her face.

This day marked a turning point in their relationship.

They spent even more time together. Jason often took her out to dinner at the restaurant. Or even just out for a walk.

Marinette was happy.

The more time she spent with him, the more her heart screamed that this boy was the man of her life. The tranquility she felt when he was there was unparalleled. Never before had the young woman felt such a feeling.

_Even Adrien never made me feel that way..._

The young woman then made a decision. She would tell Jason the whole truth. After talking to the Kwamis, they all agreed. Tikki was so excited by the idea, that she began to create certain objects by accident.

So, all week long she secretly trained to make a surprise dinner for Jason. When the famous evening arrived, the brunette was extremely nervous.

So much so that she almost burned the kitchen several times, almost spilled juice on Jason...

Not to mention her tongue, which refused to let her say a single sentence without sputtering.

— Jay... I... Humm... S-Something to tell you

He did not answer but plunged his gaze into her own.

She took a deep breath. From the corner of her eye she could see that the Kwamis were watching the scene, hiding in the middle of a flowerpot.

Marinette went ahead and told Jason absolutely everything. About her life as a superhero, about the miraculous, about Master Fu, about her role as a guardian. He listened attentively without ever interrupting her. Her fists were clenched and her whole body trembled.

It was the fear of rejection.

When she had finished her story, he laid his hand on hers.

— Marinette, look at me.

She looked up and widened them immediately.

Sweet lip had just landed on hers. Her brain had a short circuit. She then closed her eyes, taking advantage of this gentle warmth and responded to this unexpected kiss.

Marinette knew at that moment that heaven was called Jason.

**Six years later.**

From then on, Marinette and Jason ran a _biblio-café*_ together which was called "Renaissance" - the idea came from Jason-. The establishment was located near a faculty and was very popular with the students. In fact, in this cofee house, it was possible to enjoy a drink while consulting the books made available by the establishment. The biblio-cafe also offered homemade cakes! These were excellent and quickly became the reputation of the place. Over time, Jason also came up with the idea of offering soundproof workrooms. This way, it was possible to rent these rooms for both work and tranquility. Reservations were made on the online booking system and were done on a half-day basis. The success was immediate. Soon both had to hire staff to help them in their work.

Marinette regularly changed the decoration of the place so that it was always trendy. Thanks to her connections with certain celebrities such as Jagged Stone or Clara Nightingale, the publicity of the place was assured.

Both worked hard to grow their businesses. Their efforts were so successful that they were able to open four more establishments in the space of three years.

Marinette continued to make commissions, but with some notable small changes: _MDC _ gave way to _MJT _ for Marinette Johnson-Todd, happy wife of Jason Peter Johnson-Todd. Indeed, Jason decided to take the surname of the woman who had raised him, namely Catherine Johnson. It was his way of rejecting the man he once considered a father.

The young woman will never forget the day when her favorite man decided to make her the happiest woman on earth.

It was Valentine's Day. They were celebrating their two years together. They had both agreed that Marinette would prepare something for the day and Jason would prepare something for the evening.

During the day, Marinette decided to abuse her guardian power -with the agreement of the Kwamis-, and had fun taking Jason on a free trip around the world, thanks to Kaalki. They visited Florence in Italy; a beautiful city known for its art. Then, they went to London where there was an exhibition about Jane Austen, Jason's favorite author. They ate in a nice little family restaurant on the British mainland. Then they spent the afternoon in London walking around together, going from coffee shop to coffee shop, testing certain teas in tea shops... They wanted to open a business together, so they looked for ideas... When the sun was about to set, they took a walk around _the London Eye_.

It was a romantic scene... They were just both in the cabin and could watch the sun set next to each other.

In the evening, Jason surpassed himself -as usual-. Their apartment had been plunged into a slight darkness. They were lit only by the light of candles that had been arranged throughout the apartment. The table had been beautifully set -when had he had time to do all this?-. Marinette thought she was in a five-star restaurant. Her boyfriend had prepared all her favorite dishes. A soft music had been put in the background.

Then, at the end of the meal, Marinette heard her favorite music reasoning in their small apartment. Jason reached out to her, inviting her to dance. The brunette was not prayed.

When the last notes rang out. Jason pulled a small black box out of his pocket, which he put in her hands. Marinette looked at the object with round eyes. She gently took the box in her hands and opened it. Inside, there was a piece of paper that she was quick to read:

_My past is filled with grief and sadness._

_My present is filled with warmth and tenderness._

_Your mere presence is enough to erase all my pain. _

_I have learned that love is more than a word. _

_Meeting you was a gift I never hoped for._

_I would like to keep it forever._

_To be with you for eternity.  
_

She raised her eyes to him in tears. He asked her the question, which she thought she would never have the right to hear.

— Will you marry me?

Marinette jumped on his neck.

— Yes! Yes, I do!

That was four years ago... and yet she remembered everything as if it were yesterday. Marinette laughed softly.

— What's so funny?

The brunette shifted her attention to her husband. He looked at her with a slight smile, and that tender look he reserved only for her.

— Nothing. I was just thinking that I was happy to have met you Jay.

— Mmmh

* * *

*From the Webisode on "Lila Rossi as seen by Marinette": In this video Marinette admits that she hopes to save Lila.

*Biblio-cafe: Exists in some cities in France, the principle is that you can order coffee, pastries, while enjoying the books in the establishment. A true fusion between a library and a coffee house!


	3. Chapter 3: Ghosts of the Past

**\- Chapter inspired by the fanfiction "Crimson as a Rose" written by EthelPhantom in AO3.**

\- The story takes place just after Red Hood: Lost Days #2. And only takes into account the parts of _Under the Red Hood:_"The Return of Jason Todd".

\- When you see "..." in the middle of a dialogue, it means that the characters speak a language other than English.

* * *

** Chapter 3: Ghosts of the past**

**A year ago.**

— Jason Todd is alive.

The Dark Knight looked at the woman in front of him, as if a second head had just pushed her. At his side, Nightwing flinched slightly.

— W-What?

— Talia, I have no time to waste with-

Talia raised her hand to stop him.

— About eight years ago, I learned that a boy matching Jason's description had been found. I took him in, but he wasn't... he was broken. His brain was damaged. He wouldn't react, talk, do anything on his own. He was like an empty shell. After a year, my father decided to get rid of him. So, I pushed him down the Lazarus pit.

Batman clenched his fists. Nightwing didn't seem to be in a better state. His jaw was visibly tense... Looking more closely, Talia realized that the young man was visibly trembling with rage.

She continued her story, telling them that Jason had returned to Gotham to take revenge on the Bat. But for some reason she didn't know, the kid never executed his plan. She had no idea where he might be or if he was still alive.

Talia then took advantage of the fact that the two men in front of her were in shock to escape.

Faced with such revelation, the first thing Batman did on his way back to the mansion was to go and examine Jason's grave. To his horror, the coffin was completely empty. There was a gaping hole on top of it. Everything indicated that the occupant of the coffin had escaped... **from the inside.**

It was just impossible.

**He had not been able to bury his own son alive.**

How did this happen? How long had he been alive? Why didn't Jason come back? Where was he now?

**8 years...**

His son had been alive for_ at least _eight years...

Bruce then began to look for Jason. This research quickly became an obsession. He'd find Jason and bring him back to the Manor where he belonged. Even if it was the last thing he would do on this earth.

The Knight of Gotham needed to find him, to apologize for not saving him... To tell him how much he missed the boy terribly, that not a day had passed without him having a thought for his son.

To tell him how much he loved him.

**PRESENT**

Tim was extremely nervous.

The young adult could make a non-exhaustive list to explain why what he was doing was a very, very bad idea.

Indeed, the young CEO was on a "mission" to determine if a certain "Jason Peter Jonhson-Todd" was indeed the former second Robin. This was by no means the first time he had to do this kind of audit. Since Talia had said that Jason had returned from the dead, Batman had been searching for him relentlessly. He had, of course, helped with the research, as did Dick. The vigilantes had to be patient to find the traces of the old Robin.

It was extremely difficult. But through hard work - or obsession on Bruce's part - they discovered that a certain "John Doe" had been admitted to a hospital with very serious injuries. There had been an investigation, but the man could never be identified because no fingerprints had been found -Bruce, Dick and the others do not have their fingerprints recorded in the national file, in order to protect their identities-. Most importantly, according to the police report that worked on the investigation, the man's last words before he fell into a coma were "Bruce".

This particular patient had mysteriously disappeared, nine years ago from a convalescent home called Huntington.

Then, after talking to the men in charge of the cemetery, Bruce discovered that Jason's grave had been vandalized, there was a hole in it. Rather than warn him, the men had preferred to just plug the hole and kept the information secret.

Tim had rarely seen Bruce so angry...

However, the information was important. This meant that Jason had been alive for at least 10 years, not 8 years as Talia had originally told them.

Their research spread across the country. But they found no trace of Jason anywhere. At this point, Bruce had asked him to keep it a secret, as did Dick. However, faced with the cruel lack of track, the Dark Knight decided to involve another person in the search: Oracle.

The young woman was at first extremely skeptical -no one could blame her - but in the face of the evidence they had found during these few months of research, she could only believe it as well.

As always, Barbara made miracles happen. She managed to find a certain "Jason Peter Johnson Todd" in Paris, whose age seemed to match. The young woman also gave them some interesting news: the man in question was married!

His wife was a woman named "Marinette Dupain-Cheng". The woman was 27 years old and a métis woman. Her father was French and her mother Chinese.

The couple owned five establishments called "Renaissance". The establishments in question were obviously very popular. Their profits spoke for themselves.

By delpanning a little more into the couple's life, Tim made a major discovery - at least in his eyes- There was also a good chance that Mrs. Johnson-Todd was the famous "MJT" his favorite stylist - he had already ordered several times on her website-! The date of their marriage corresponded to the time when "MDC" became "MJT".

This meant that his -possible_\- big brother_ had high standards when it came to women... And for God's sake, he was going to have MJT as **_his sister-in-law_**!

Well... Things were not won. Still, he wasn't yet sure if this man was the former Robin.

That's how he, Timothy Drake-Wayne aka Red Robin, ended up in one of the library-cafés run by the Johnson-Todd couple. He had taken advantage of a business trip to get there.

However, Tim was nervous.

Deep down, he knew that if Jason hadn't come back to Bruce, it was because he didn't want to. For some reason, the former Robin did not want to deal with his former mentor.

Perhaps he resented him for not saving him? After all, Talia had made it clear that Jason had originally returned to Gotham to eliminate Batman.

So, Tim was wondering... Did they really have to get back in touch with Jason? Wasn't it better to let the young man live his life, after all that had happened to him? Wasn't imposing themselves in the life of the dark-haired a little... _selfish?_

-XxxX-

Lately, Jason had a very bad feeling. His instincts were screaming that something was wrong. Marinette noticed it very quickly. He tried to reassure her at first, but at her insistence he capitulated and confessed his fears to her. The dark-haired was surprised to learn that his wife also felt the same way as he did. This bad impression that something unpleasant was about to happen.

Indeed, their fear was confirmed when one fine day, someone he never wanted to see again landed in his life.

What was Bruce _fucking_ Wayne doing outside the door of his apartment?!

Before he could even say anything, Marinette intervened between the two. Surprising him at the same time and surprising Bruce as well. His angel did something that surprised him: she pushed Bruce into the hallway and closed the door behind her, locking him in the apartment!

He found himself shouting at the door.

— What is that? What the fuck?! Marinette!

Marinette then began to answer him, but in the language of the guardians. She had also taught him the language a few years earlier in case they needed to speak in public and didn't want indiscreet ears to understand their conversation.

— You were going to attack him, Jason! In your current state, nothing good will come of talking to him. Let me handle this.

— You've got to be kidding me! It' s out of ques-

— Your aura has changed, Jason. From the moment you saw him, the evil aura of the pit woke up!

— ...

— Trust me Jay...

— ...

— Honey, let me handle it.

— ...

— Please beloved...

— Ok...

Jason felt his veins boiling, but on the other hand, hearing Marinette's pleading voice was like a cold shower. He trusted her. Heavens, maybe she was even the only person on earth to whom he told absolutely everything... Except knowing she was with Bruce didn't reassure him.

He was even terrified of the idea.

The young man heard footsteps walking away. Even though his whole body was screaming at him to break down the door and hit Bruce like a punching bag, he clenched his fists and left to sit on the couch in their living room.

He was quickly joined by the Kwamis.

None of them uttered a word, but they stood there with him. Even if he did not say it out loud, their presence reassured him. At least he wasn't alone in this mess, _his family_ was with him.

Jason didn't know exactly how long it took, but eventually Marinette came back. The first thing she did when she saw him was to hug him. He returned her embrace, taking advantage of the opportunity to smell her soothing scent. Feel the softness of her skin against his fingers.

Jeez, how much he loved that woman.

She then told him about her discussion with Bruce. She explained that she had severely reprimanded him for his behaviour. Jason smiled slightly at the thought.

Marinette was very small, she was barely 5'2 tall, while her former mentor was almost triple her size.

His angel also explained that Bruce had discovered that he had only been alive for a year by a certain Talia. Since then, he had been actively looking for him. The man wanted to reconnect with him...

— I told him that it was extremely condescending of him to impose himself like that... And that even though I sincerely understand his action, he should have warned you beforehand and let you choose whether you wanted to talk to him or not. Because yes, damn it, you still have a say in the story! I took his contact information. I told him you'll contact him if you want, and that he better not does it again if he wants to keep his head on his shoulders...

— You threatened Bruce?!

— Threatened is a very big word... Let's just say I imposed my point of view on him. Anyway, he promised to give you some space.

— Bullshit.

— No, I don't think so...

— Oh yeah, trust me. I've lived with him long enough to know he's more stubborn than a mule. If he's decided to ruin my life, he's seriously going to do it.

— Not if I have anything to say about it.

—Mari... You don't know him.

— He doesn't know me either.

— Mmmm.

— Trust me Jason, I won't let him near you if you don't want to. I'll protect you!

— I don't need to be protected!

For any answer, she put a kiss on his lips and smiled at him.

— You should have seen his face Jay... It looked like a child who had just been caught stealing candy...

— Mmmm...

She swung him onto the couch and straddled him before capturing his lips again. Jason let it happen. Eventually, Marinette let go of him. She then plunged her beautiful azure eyes into his. She put both hands on his cheeks and gently caressed him with her thumb.

— I love you Jay...

— I knows.

He hugged her tightly.

His anger was always present. But having Marinette against him helped him stay in control.

The days that followed were difficult for him. His emotions were on a rollercoaster. Jason was aware that he hadn't been the best husband lately. Yet Marinette stayed by his side, even when he rejected her.

She was patient, gentle, soothing.

As always.

He didn't deserve her.

After several days, his anger finally subsided. Instead, a deep melancholy settled in his heart. Marinette took the situation into her own hands. She organized a last-minute trip. She forced him to leave their apartment.

They went to several different places in the French capital. Then he and Marinette flew to Spain. Eventually they went on a tour of the restaurants in Barcelona...

His mind was always occupied. He was going to gain weight by eating anything like he has been doing lately...

Eventually, Jason gets his shit together. His discomfort was still there, yet he couldn't let this stupid event ruin his life. He had a business to run, for God's sake!

And... He had Marinette.

Did he ever mention how much he loved his wife?

A new year passed after this incident.

To his surprise, Bruce kept his promise and stopped bothering them. Jason seriously wondered what Marinette had said to convince him.

This year was still edifying. Jason found himself forced to think. He was looking back on his past in the Manor, his life as Batman's sidekick. It was true that he missed Alfred... Nevertheless, Bruce had replaced him. He knew very well that by the time he returned to Gotham almost seven years ago, another Robin had taken his place.

Why the hell did Bruce want to "reconnect" with him? He didn't need him anymore! Worse, he was dumb enough to let himself be fooled by his "mother"... Why would he want a loser like him? Damn, he'd been killed in a completely pathetic way!

Jason found himself talking to Marinette for several hours about the subject. His angel listened attentively as always.

— Jay, I think the easiest thing to do is to talk to him. It's easy for us to make assumptions without having his side of the story.

She ran her hand through his hair while placing a soft kiss on his lips.

— You know... I wish my parents had come and apologized to me.

This phrase echoed in him for several days.

Then finally, Jason decided to make the first move. He and Marinette were going to open their sixth shop. The dark-haired decided to invite Bruce to the inauguration. Well... he asked Marinette to send him an email.

She's smiled at him. It was a very excited Marinette who took her cell phone to call his foster father. Obviously, his angel was just waiting for that... A green light from him.

Bruce confirmed his presence.

The reunion was a bit... Strange. But in the end they were able to break the ice. Bruce apologized for not saving him and explained why he had not eliminated the Joker. He had a sincere difficulty accepting it, but he also could not deny that he understood Bruce's reasons.

It took several more months for Jason to agree to speak more regularly with Bruce.

The former Robin even agreed to see Dick again... Dick came to visit them at their apartment. When Dick saw him, he thought that the fool was going to kill him by asphyxiation, because he hugged him very tightly... The first Robin spent a whole day with them.

Unsurprisingly, Dick and Marinette quickly became friends.

Marinette even ends up inviting him to spend the night at their house.

**Time passed again.**

Jason finally agreed to meet the man who became his replacement... - And because he couldn't stand hearing Dick talk about that brat anymore! About him and Bruce's biological son-

Dick had implied that his "successor" was a fan of the former second Robin. But Jason didn't believe him, until he found himself in front of the kid... It was the strangest encounter of his entire life. The kid was extremely nervous around him. And he called him "sir." They were what, two or three years apart in terms of age...? Was it normal for him to be so uptight?

It wasn't until he confessed to being a "fan" of Marinette that the dark-haired couldn't take it anymore. He burst out laughing... And then, seeing his angel turn completely scarlet was worth it.

Jason decided the boy wasn't so bad. He was a big nerd, but not in a bad way.

Then finally, after much more time, Jason and Marinette agreed to spend some time in Gotham. It would only be a short week during the big holiday season.

A week he soon learned to regret...

Especially when he realized that the whole family had come to meet them at the airport. It was really weird.

Alfred took him in his arms and didn't try to contain his tears when he saw him... Dick always smiled too much for his taste. Bruce also greeted them with a smile -he wasn't really sure how to react to a smiling Bruce-. Tim was the only one who seemed normal...

Then there were the others.

Apart from Bruce, Alfred, Dick and Tim, the others were completely unknown to him.

He learned that he apparently had a sister. However, Jason quickly learned to hate Damian. Bruce's biological son was a pain in the ass!

It was a weird week. But he took the opportunity to show Marinette where he had grown up. Jason also decided to introduce her to his mother Catherine...

The trip, which was supposed to last only one week, ended up lasting a full month.

Then soon, Gotham became part of their normal holiday itinerary. And a horde of Wayne began to make regular appearances in Paris.


	4. Chapter 4: Karma

**Chapter 4: Karma **

Marinette's week started very badly.

For a few days now, she felt very sick. The brunette had caught an infection in her stomach that left her with absolutely nothing to swallow. She also felt very feverish.

Then she had the unpleasant news that someone was stealing her works by posing as MJT. The person in question would have declared herself to be the real "MJT" in an interview. Since then, she had received complaints from some of her buyers who denounced her as a scammer! In addition, some of her regular clients were complaining to her because they had not received their order on time, when she had in fact **never** received the said commission.

To make things worse, she had to go to an appointment... Specifically at _a funeral._

**Her parents'.**

It's been years now. Fourteen years to be more precise.

They had never come to see her in that time. No phone calls, no letters. Nothing at all.

The young woman had learned of their death only through a letter from a notary. The man told her that her parents had died leaving debts and that as a result she had inherited them as an only child.

It was the only thing left of her parents: **debts.**

As if that wasn't enough, Jason wasn't there. He was in Gotham, not France. The dark-haired had been gone for 3 months to conclude some commercial agreements with Wayne Enterprise. Since he had officially come back to life, he also had a lot of administrative details to work out. Marinette was therefore left alone to take care of their empire in France.

Because yes, now they were together at the head of a real empire.

"Renaissance" had become a brand that had spread to several cities in the country. They now had several employees at their service. They now had a brand of "Renaissance" coffee that was served in their establishment and had a crazy success. For the occasion, the couple had entered into agreements with several coffee-exporting countries.

She was alone to face this situation.

Throughout the ceremony, the brunette was unable to shed any tears. The only thing that could be seen in her eyes was total indifference.

Right after the funeral ceremony, the first thing the guardian did was to go to the notary to settle the damn debt. She then learned that her inheritance also included the bakery and her parents' apartment.

Marinette didn't look any further, she paid whatever it had to pay.

The brunette didn't feel anything. Just a huge void...

— Sabrina, I'm home!

— Hello Marinette, how did the appointment go?

— Well... I paid what there was to pay. I end up with an apartment and a bakery downtown... As if I don't have enough work as it is.

— I see...

The redhead looked at her for a moment, then approached her, taking her hands on hers.

— Marinette, if you want to talk, I'm here.

— I know Sabi, thank you for everything. I'm going to go to the workshop now. I'll let you handle the rest.

— Alright.

Sabrina watched Marinette leave without a word.

The young woman was a former classmate of the French-Chinese. She had now worked as a butler an assistant in the Johnson-Todd house for almost 5 years. The redhead was clearly the "Alfred" equivalent for Marinette and Jason.

It all started one night. It was practically the closure of the library-café in which Marinette worked that day. The establishment was welcoming its last customers. One of them was Sabrina. Marinette didn't recognize her right away. But what struck her, however, was that she was crying.

When Marinette came to her to talk to her, they recognized each other. The brunette managed to convince Sabrina to come and have a coffee at her house to tell her everything.

Sabrina explained to her then that she was working for Chloe – yes, still. - and that she was in charge of the management of Bourgeois hotels in place of her blonde friend. Alas, Chloe often had fun spending her parents' money in secret. As a suspicion of corruption weighed on the former mayor Bourgeois -thank God, Parisians had finally opened their eyes to the incompetence of the character-, the man had planned to severely punish his daughter. The blonde arranged for Sabrina to be accused of theft. Thus, the money embezzled by the Bourgeois became Sabrina's fault. She now had to face justice...

Marinette at the moment had sincere pity for the poor girl. It was true that Sabrina had never been her friend. From elementary school to high school, the unfortunate girl had always been Chloe's pigeon.

On the other hand, Marinette was extremely angry with Chloe. Ruining her life wasn't enough? She also had to ruin the life of the only person who ever supported her in her life?

After the redhead left, Marinette waited for Jason to return. She then told him absolutely everything that had happened.

— Are you sure you want to help her, Marinette? That girl's just reaping what she sowed... What's happening to her sounds like a payback to me.

— You know Jay, I don't help people because they deserve it, but because it's right.

— Yeah. I'm not convinced.

— I'm not just doing this for her Jason, but also for me.

— _Really_?

— Yes, really. It's high time someone gave that little pest the beating her parents never gave her! Starting with giving her a little taste of her own shit...

— Oh... _Oh_... Should I assume you already have something in mind, sweetheart?

Marinette only smiled at him.

Three days later. The Bourgeois family lost all their fortune.

How did the brunette do it?

This will be her secret to the grave.

Unsurprisingly, Sabrina was cleared.

Marinette then took the opportunity to offer the _Grand Palace_ as a gift to Sabrina.

The young woman was extremely grateful to them. But rather than keep the hotel, the redhead sold the building. She then offered the money to the Todd couple. Marinette and Jason absolutely didn't want that money. Sabrina insisted. She then asked to work for them.

Initially a little reluctant, the couple finally accepted.

They didn't regret their choice. Sabrina was a remarkable young woman, once freed from Chloe's chains.

What about the "lovely" blonde? The last time Marinette heard from her was years ago, long before Jason met his family. The young lady worked as a cashier at a supermarket...

Living like the "plebeians" that she despised so much... sweet irony.

The bourgeois couple on the other hand was more complicated. They divorced. André Bourgeois went to prison. As for Audrey, she tried hard to keep her fashion empire, but failed to do so. The former _fashion queen_ became a _fashion pariah_. At the last news, she had withdrawn somewhere Russia.

-XxxX-

Marinette continued to work tirelessly. Also being MJT, she had several important orders to honor. Fortunately, the Kwamis were there to help her during the creative process.

Sabrina was more and more worried about her.

It was true that Marinette had not slept for almost 3 days... That her damn fever didn't want to go down and that she was eating very badly because of her stomach...

The redhead decided to call Jason to inform him of the situation.

The next evening, Jason entered the apartment.

The brunette almost had a heart attack when her husband walked into her sewing studio.

— Jason?! But what are you-

—You idiot! You should have called me!

The dark-haired took her in his arms and held her tightly against him. Marinette took advantage of this embrace. Damn... she missed the smell of her man so much.

— Sorry Jay... Because of me you had to come back... It was Sabi who called you, I guess.

— And she did well... Mari, did you look at yourself in the mirror?

— Not really, I haven't had time in the last few days...

He laid a kiss on her forehead.

— Come with me, my angel.

Jason forced her to rest. Together they lay down against each other.

For the first time since the beginning of the week, the brunette finally began to relax.

Until a horrible urge to vomit makes her jump out of bed and rush into the toilet...

The next day, a doctor's appointment was made.

-XxxX-

— Congratulations ma'am, you're thirteen weeks pregnant.

Marinette looked at the doctor in front of her with round eyes, her mouth open. Her heart was beating very hard, her hands were sweaty. No, she was clearly dreaming... A beautiful dream, but a dream anyway.

It was the sound of a big _"BOOM" _that pulled her out of her torpor.

**Jason had fallen out of his chair.**

Jason had to return to Gotham a short time later. However, the two promised to wait until they were together to tell the Wayne family the good news. Nevertheless, Jason's -very- good mood already left everyone a little suspicious. Dick even ends up making fun of him by saying he was "a Marinette drug addict." It was when Jason started to answer Damian with a huge smile that everyone understood that there was something up with him. Everybody knew those two couldn't stand each other...

When Marinette arrived the following month, she was greeted by a radiant Jason. This had the merit of making her laugh. At Jason's request, the whole family gathered at the mansion. Unsurprisingly, Dick was the first to launch.

— What's up? What do you have to say that's so important? It must be really exceptional, for Jason to have become a teddy bear after returning from France...

Marinette and Jason exchanged an accomplice look before turning to their families again.

— I'm pregnant.

_Three, two, one..._

— WHAT!?

— OH MY GOD! I'M GOING TO BE AN UNCLE!

— Congratulations Master Jason, Mistress Marinette.

— Baby... I'm going to become... a Grandfather?

— I KNEW IT! Tim, you owe me $20!

— Seriously?!

The news was greeted with joy.

_**TOO MUCH**_ joy...

Marinette and Jason had to impose a gift quota per person, since they received too many gifts for the baby! Family members, friends, business partners... Even some regular users of their library-café brought gifts!

— Jay... Our daughter already has more clothes than our two dressing rooms combined!

— Hm... We may have to move...

— Or tell everyone to stop! Can you believe Lois wants to have a baby shower?! When we already have more room in our apartment!

— A what?

— This passing party to go from woman to mother... And you get gifts too... And diapers, lots of diapers... There are games too...

— I don't see what the problem is, angel...

Marinette looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Then walked towards the door of what should be the broom closet. As she opened it, bundles of diapers fell out from inside.

— What the fuck?!

— Alfred.

— Are you kidding me?!

— No. There's even more in my studio, I even started filling my parents' old apartment with diapers...

— You filled a 77,74 yr² apartment with diapers?!

— Yes. **All the rooms.**

— ...

— Did I tell you that Bruce wants to do a Gala in our honor?

— WHAT?! Thank, but no thanks! Stop! I'm calling Bruce right now.

They couldn't get Bruce to change his mind. They couldn't get everyone to stop with the presents...

And Marinette was only **4 months pregnant.**

The day of the Gala arrived. And with it came a series of problems.

People Marinette never wanted to see again would be there. However, the mother-to-be didn't want to make a scene. Especially for events that had occurred during her teens. Nevertheless, the brunette had a very bad feeling about it. Especially since she hadn't yet talked to Jason about the "MJT" identity theft story.

So, she decided to consult the Kwami and ask their opinion on this matter. The Kwami all had different opinions. Some told her that this was the perfect opportunity for revenge, others told her that she was now far above all these events. Others thought that something had to be done, but just in case...

The brunette was facing a difficult choice. On the one hand, she genuinely wanted to forget her past. On the other hand... She had not forgotten all those nights crying, feeling alone and helpless... All those times she had been humiliated... Marinette, deep down, wanted revenge.

She passed her hand over her belly and fondled it gently. The French-Chinese knew that. Now she was no longer alone. She had an exceptional husband, a great family, sincere friends, a brilliant career. And soon, she would also have a little girl to cherish...

Marinette ends up talking to Jason about it.

— I think the Kwamis are right.

— About what?

— About everything.

— I'm afraid I don't know what you're getting at, Jay...

— They're right, today you have nothing to envy anyone. On the other hand, it's the perfect opportunity to make them pay for all the humiliation you went through thanks to their shit...

— Mmmm... So?

— We're going to take action, just in case. Maybe over time they've changed, in which case, good. If they haven't...

— Better to go to war with victory assured.

— Yep, that's what it is.

Jason put a kiss on her forehead.

— As for this story of identity theft... I do have an idea of how to proceed, but I would like your opinion on that.

— Oh? The council of war isn't over yet?

— Ahahaha... You're an idiot. So, I thought...

After exposing her entire plan, Jason looked at her for a moment and smiled softly.

— You know, Angel, I'm hesitant to get divorced.

— What?!

— And then ask you to marry me again.

— Y-You... You moron! Don't ever scare me like that again!

— Ahahaha!

— Don't you dare laugh! That joke sucked!

For her plan to work, Marinette still had to warn the Wayne family. She had to tell them what had happened to her as a teenager, as well as the other rather unfortunate events that happened to her afterwards.

Their reaction was unanimous: they were angry.

— Marinette, do you realize how much this suck?! This is extremely serious! [Dick]

— I will immediately ban them from the guest list and blacklist them. [Bruce]

— Personally, I don't think a small visit would hurt them. It's a good thing, it's my turn to patrol tonight. [Steph]

— No, you're not going to do anything.

— Jaybird, you can't be serious!

— I am Roy, Mari already has a plan...

— And what is that plan, Marinette?

At Tim's question, Marinette looked at him with a grin. It had the merit of calming the spirits a little. All shifted their attention to the brunette.

— First of all, I want to be clear, I want to give them a chance. When you're young, you don't always realize what you're doing. I myself have done and say things that I regret today, and I am sure that is also your case.

No one answered anything. But Marinette could clearly see that not everyone agreed with her reasoning.

— However, I know from experience that some people are just bad by nature and only get worse with time, which is why I took the lead. I'm going to kill two birds with one stone...

Once the exhibition of her plan is finished...

— Marinette?

— Yes Timmy?

— I'm glad you're part of the family.

— Thank you?

— It's a plan, both effective and ruthless. I approved.

— Thank you, Dami.

Around her Marinette could see that Bruce nodded with a slight smile. Dick seemed to laugh like a maniac with Stephanie. Barbara on her side smiled amused.

— I think I finally understand why you and Jason are so good together...

— Uh, okay?

Duke, who eventually came out of his torpor, looked almost frightened. Barbara laughed harder.

-XxxX-

In agreement with Bruce, Tim changed the invitations. The invitations from Marinette's former acquaintances were an hour earlier than those of the other guests. In addition, other guests were added to the guest list at the request of the brunette.

Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste and Lila Rossi received different invitations.

Marinette was the one who welcomed the first guests alongside her assistant - and now best friend - Sabrina. The brunette wore a dress made by her, black and red, with a ladybug theme.

Marinette was pleased to see that, just as she had hoped, some of her acquaintances had indeed changed for the better. When Kagami saw her, she hugged her tightly and asked for forgiveness. Henceforth, the young woman bore the surname "Couffaine", and was the happy wife of Luka.

The Japanese woman had finally discovered the truth about what had really happened and had immediately asked for a divorce. Being perfectly aware that her behavior towards her (ex)best friend had been more than unfair, she had never dared to come back to her.

Marinette was delighted to see her guitarist friend again. He was now a well-known singer and musician. Marinette had no trouble forgiving her, for the simple reason that she had never blamed her. The brunette saw her as a victim just as much as her was a victim too.

Then came Adrien's turn. He too had changed a lot. He hadn't remarried since his divorce with Kagami. Seeing her, his eyes filled with tears as he apologized flatly for his behavior. Marinette accepted his apology, but nevertheless, she made it clear to the young man that they would remain only acquaintances. The blond man accepted -he had no say in the matter anyway-.

The guests arrived one by one. Marinette had to leave for a few moments to breathe a little. Because of her pregnancy, even though her belly was not yet very visible, the young woman had cruelly lost her stamina. Sabrina continued alone, welcoming the guests.

While she was resting in a room out of sight, Jason made his appearance. He was as radiant as ever. He was wearing a black suit that Marinette had made for him while she was still "MDC". Underneath, he was wearing a burgundy shirt with a black tie. All his clothes were marked "MJT". He wasn't the only one actually. The whole Wayne family, as well as several close family friends like the Kents, wore original MJT.

After a while, Dick showed up.

— Marinette,_ Little wing, _you gotta come see this...

— What's up, _Dickhead_?

— Jay... what did we say about those nicknames...

— Just come and see. And Jay, you should listen to your wife...

The dark-haired's only response was to growl at his brother.

When Marinette and Jason arrived in the room, they quickly realized why Dick had come to pick them up.

— I am so delighted to meet the real MJT!

— Ahahahaha! Thank you so much. It's an honor to meet you too, Mr. Wayne.

Lila Rossi.

She gazed pathetically at Tim, who had obviously been the chosen victim to keep her busy.

So, the person claiming to be "MJT" was this plague of Rossi's...

Marinette watched the Italian woman come out lie after lie, while openly flirting with Tim. The brunette felt deeply sorry for her young brother-in-law. The couple then learned from Damian, who was furious by the way, that Lila had enjoyed herself, as soon as she entered, belittling Sabrina who was standing at the reception hall. The redhead was perfectly professional, without losing her temper, she simply pointed Lila in the direction of the reception hall, before gently dismissing her, to welcome the other guests.

Marinette sighed.

A simple glance at his side confirmed that Jason felt the same way. Their eyes crossed and a rictus formed on their respective faces.

Finally, there would be some action that night.

Marinette smiles one last time at Jason before advancing, this time alone, to the Italian viper. Looking at her more closely, Marinette had to admit that she was a beautiful woman. Luckily, she had changed her haircut to make it shorter. The brunette had to admit that Lila's square cut suited her very well. She wore a black dress, very elegant, with a slit on the side. A plunging neckline didn't leave much room for imagination. Marinette immediately noticed the characteristic signature of "MJT" on the border of the Italian's dress. Finally, "characteristic" was a big word. It was an imitation.

— Oh Lila Rossi? How amazing to run into you here.

The Italian turned around sharply and lost her smile, which was meant to be seductive, for a fraction of a second - which neither Marinette nor Tim missed - before taking back her "nice girl" mask.

— Dupain-Cheng? That's... quite a coincidence.

— Actually, it's Johnson-Todd, I'm married now. Hi Timmy, there's Jay looking for you, he had something to tell you.

— Hello Marinette, you look lovely as always.

— Thank you, Timmy.

— Well, I'm not going to make my brother wait any longer. Miss Rossi, it was a pleasure. Mari...

Timothy laid a kiss on her forehead and whispered a "good luck" to her and left immediately.

The brunette's gaze turned to Lila, who looked at her with a deceptively playful look, while Marinette could clearly see the anger in her eyes.

— I see there are things that don't change Marinette. Still flirting with anything that moves.

Marinette smiled at her.

_Don't take your case for generality, sweetie._

The French-Chinese chooses not to pick up on the remark and gives her _one last chance_.

— How are you, Lila? I understand you ran into my assistant Sabrina.

— Oh... So you adopted Chloe's former slave... I'm impressed _Dupain-Cheng, _you're rising in my esteem.

— You were right about one thing, Lila _dear_, some things never change... You're still _pathetic_.

— Be careful what you say Dupain-Cheng.

— Or else what, _darling_? You'll start crying about how I'm a naughty bully? Unluckily, your sheep group isn't here to watch your back...

Lila's face was deformed with anger. But the Italian quickly recovered, and a bad grin appeared on her face.

— Did you say your last name was now Johnson-Todd? So you're the wife of this pathetic little coffee house owner? You know what I can do? I can destroy the reputation of your stupid establishment. My _fiancé_ is a rich businessman! He's already brought down the Bourgeois. All you have to do is ask Chloe what I'm capable of.

_So... Not only is she pathetic, she's a whore. She was hitting on Tim knowing she's engaged...  
_

Marinette looked at the young woman with a completely impassive look on her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that her special guests had arrived. The brunette grinned. She was then joined again by Tim. Lila immediately took back her innocent look.

— Marinette, Miss Rossi, good timing, I have someone I want you to meet.

Tim held out his hand to Lila, who was happy to take his arm and stick to him like an octopus. The Italian then glanced at Marinette with a mocking look. The brunette rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Then, when Lila saw who the guests were, the young woman faded.

He was one of her -many- former lover.

When the man saw her, he did not hide his disdain for a second.

Then, to the Italian's great misfortune, all her former lovers -all rich men- were present. There were also all the people about whom Lila had already told lies to gain special favours. Including people about whom Lila had spread rumours to make them lose their jobs and take their place. Every celebrity she claimed to know was there.

And most importantly, her entire old class from both middle and high school was there. Marinette had contacted them all one by one. Including Alya, and Chloe. These two, Marinette had already taken care of them a few years earlier. Indeed, Alya was the one who reported in an article that it was Sabrina who had embezzled money from the Bourgeois. In exchange, the blonde had guaranteed her a place in a school of journalism -Alya had not managed to get in and was beginning to despair-. Marinette then contacted Nadja Chamac, who was delighted to blacklist Alya. No school of journalism would take her, and as for Chloe... You know the story.

But since none of them knew their misfortune was Marinette's fault... they agreed to come.

She tried to escape, but soon realized that this would not be possible because Tim was holding her tightly.

— Why leave now? Just when things are _finally _getting interesting.

Lila understood that she had just been trapped.

Bruce approached the stage to get ready to give his speech. At this point, Marinette approached Lila - who was already pale - and whispered to her, so that she was the only one to hear.

— Tonight, my dear, I'll teach you one thing: **In life, there are monsters that should not be awakened.**

Then she left to join Jason on stage. Bruce formally introduced Jason and Marinette. Presenting Jason as his son who had returned. He then announced the good news of Marinette's pregnancy. Then finally, an interview with Clark Kent and Loïs Lane-Kent was showed, introducing the young couple briefly, their meeting, and above all, revealing that Marinette was "MDC" and now "MJT".

To prove her point, she showed that if she made her clothes alone and by hand, it was because her signature hid a secret. When you put a flashlight on the signature in question, while turning off the light, the signature "MDC" revealed the first name "Marinette" under the light. While the signature "MJT" revealed the signature "Mari+Jay". And only the original creations bore these characteristics.

To throw salt into Lila's wound, Marinette thought it would be good to add at the end:

— And a special thanks to Miss Lila Rossi, without whom I would never have had the courage to reveal the truth.

The guests understood the message very clearly.

Lila runs away from the reception in tears, completely humiliated.

That day the world learned one thing: don't mess with Marinette.

* * *

Thank you to everyone who read this fic! Anyone who took the trouble to leave a comment. To all of you I say a big THANK YOU!  
See you soon, I hope, for new stories. ^^


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